


pinky promises (are forever)

by bettysjjones



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Not really a slow burn, One Night Stand, Smut, Subtle Pining, betty cooper needs a hug but doesnt want to ask, betty has a fat crush, i mean FAT, if every trope were in one fic, imagine the apartment building like the one in You season 2, post college
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettysjjones/pseuds/bettysjjones
Summary: "Do you have a secret Holden Caulfield fan tumblr blog that I need to keep my eye out for?”He smirks and plays along, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” They both laugh for a few seconds until he speaks again, “Alright I’ll level with you. You give me your favourite novel, I’ll read it and I’ll give you mine to read and then when we’re both done we’ll have our own little book club meeting to discuss.”Betty nods, “That’s fair. But it has to be the book you would never admit to liking to anybody. Your guiltiest guilty pleasure.”“You play a dirty game, Cooper. I’m in. Meet here tomorrow at the same time for book exchange?” he gets up, already offering his hand for her to shake.She mimics his actions, shakes his hand in a fake competitive attitude and walks away. She almost turns to see if he’s watching her leave. Almost.Or, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones become every trope in the book.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	pinky promises (are forever)

New York is a complicated city. Difficult to understand but so easy to fall in love with. New York was – is – Bettys biggest dream. The big lights and busy streets, it was always so _alive_ in which Betty felt not.

With her student loans she still has three years after graduating college (a proud Columbia graduate because _of course_ she would live up to _that_ standard) and the shitty apartment she’s renting out, and the even shittier job as a – wait for it – assistant for Metro New York. She caters to all the newspaper junkies for $14.50 an hour, which believe it or not, isn’t so bad. She’s able to stay above water for the most part and eats at least one meal a day.

It’s not like she has many friends either, she’s only kept in touch with Veronica Lodge and Kevin Keller after high school. They talk a couple times a week but both of them are living lavish lives in Los Angeles and Las Vegas respectively.

She’s happy for them, she _is_ , but she can’t shake off the jealous feeling of their privilege. They’ve never had money issues, everything has always just been handed to them whilst Betty has worked day and night since she’s left Riverdale to prove herself. Who exactly she’s trying to prove is a loaded question, maybe her mom who’s never actually believed in her therefore controlled the first 18 years of her life. Maybe her friends who are successful and meeting new people every night and having the time of their lives. Or maybe, she’s trying to prove to herself that she c _an_ because she was always told that she _couldn’t_.

***

After an especially hard day at work, Betty gets home to the buildings landlord sitting outside on one of the public patio chairs reading Catcher in the Rye. _Classic,_ Betty thinks.

“Can I help you?” the voice startles Betty a bit, not realizing the voice is directed to her it speaks again. “Unit six right?”

“Yes! Well um my name is Betty but-“

“I know, you’re Betty Cooper,” he laughs. “Stop rambling you’re stressing yourself out. I just heard you judge my choice of book out loud and probably didn’t realise it.” He pauses for only a moment, “Please, enlighten me.”

She closes her eyes and sighs in embarrassment. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. I-I didn’t-I wasn’t…” at least she has the right of mind to shut up before she gets herself kicked out and homeless.

Now he is truly laughing at her, mouth open and head tilted back. “Okay pause,” he nods his head towards the seat across from him. “Let’s start over; I’ll pretend you didn’t just outwardly comment on my choice of literature if you tell me what you meant by it.”

Betty regards him for a few seconds too long but thankfully neither of them say anything and she eventually sits down apprehensively. “Uh, well, it wasn’t negative?” she offers.

“Okay,” he says, prolonging the word cautiously. “So what do you think of it, and be honest. Don’t spare my feelings.” At this point, he’s set his book aside and his full attention is on her, which should probably feel unsettling considering the only thing she knows about this man is the name and the fact the he takes an amount of money from her every month to keep her lights and water on and her AC working.

“Honestly? It’s good, one of the first pieces of literature that actually made sense plot wise _and_ was written properly. I only said it was classic because even people who swear to never read a book, know about this one. Is it your favorite? Do you have a secret Holden Caulfield fan tumblr blog that I need to keep my eye out for?”

He smirks and plays along, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” They both laugh for a few seconds until he speaks again, “Alright I’ll level with you. You give me your favorite novel, I’ll read it and I’ll give you mine to read and then when we’re both done we’ll have our own little book club meeting to discuss.”

Betty nods, “That’s fair. But it has to be the book you would never admit to liking to anybody. Your guiltiest guilty pleasure.”

“You play a dirty game, Cooper. I’m in. Meet here tomorrow at the same time for book exchange?” he gets up, already offering his hand for her to shake.

She mimics his actions, shakes his hand in a fake competitive attitude and walks away. She almost turns to see if he’s watching her leave. Almost.

***

A week has already flown by and the witty landlord is sat in the same chair with two books this time, one he seems to be very into (Catcher in the Rye) and another set down atop the table. It’s only then she remembers the deal they had made and that she completely forgot about.

“Hey! Apartment six, how you doing? Ready to see my most embarrassing guilty pleasure?” he announces as she walks closer towards him.

“Indeed I am, I left mine inside I’ll be right back.” She rushes to her apartment. Thankfully it’s first floor so no stairs. She had completely forgotten therefore didn’t have anything planned out but luckily she knows exactly what to lend him.

She comes back with her book in hand and he looks up immediately, setting down his book and grabbing the one that was set face down on the table probably on purpose.

“No judgement?” he says, eyeing her playfully.

“I pinky promise.” The 25 year old woman offers the man in front of her pinky finger like children do.

“What are we? Nine years old?”

“Just humour me.” She replies, “You can never break a pinky promise.”

“Alright, unit six. Pinky promise to no judgement.” Their pinkies connect in a promise before they each hand over their book. “ _Beautiful Disaster_ by Jamie McGuire?”

“You can’t break the pinky promise four seconds after it’s made!” he declares.

“Not judging!” she defends with a smile. “I’m just really surprised, this isn’t what I expected.”

He sits back down on the chair with a dramatic sigh, “Yes, it’s true, I am a softie at heart. I know you don’t believe me because of my hard stand-offish exterior.” He says in mock cockiness.

Betty belts a loud laugh, “Yeah okay Mr. Floppy hair and flannel.”

“Hey, what’s wrong with my hair?” he runs his fingers through it and she watches his movement carefully.

“Absolutely nothing.” They look into each other’s eyes for a long moment, neither of them bothering to break it until Betty blinks and realizes what’s happening. She clears her throat and nods her head towards her book that he will now possess for the next week or so. “What do you think,”

He looks at the book for the first time since it’s been in his hands. “ _Crime and Punishment_ by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Impressive.”

She leans back in the chair. “You thought that it would be some gross vampire shit, didn’t you?”

“Okay, full disclosure… kind of.” Betty scoffs at that. “But I’m shocked and a little mortified that I’ve never fully read this before.”

“Is that a joke?”

“Afraid not, you know, managing an apartment complex is quite time consuming.” He teases.

“An apartment complex with twelve units.” She jabs back. “Also, you didn’t seem so occupied reading Catcher in the Rye yesterday.”

“What can I say? When Holden calls, you listen. Or read in this context.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” The sarcasm dripping from her lips. “Well, now you’ve given me a task so I’ll go do that and leave you to yours. You have my number so, call me when you discover how stupid you are for not reading it any sooner.” She smirks and walks away leaving him defenseless.

***

A knock at her door at 3:43am startles her from her deep sleep. Betty tip toes her way to the door, grabbing a kitchen knife on the way. She peaks a look through her peep hole and sees none other than _him._

She sighs a breath of both relief and annoyance and unlocks the door to open it. “What the actual _fuck_ are you doing here? Do you not know what time it is?”

“I do and I’m sorry but this book-“ he stops himself short and hands the book back to her.

She notices how small her sleep shirt is when a gust of wind blows in through the front door and uses the book to cover her chest after pulling him inside and closing the door. “What about it?”

“It’s so… unsatisfying.” He give a puppy look and she almost wants to laugh and cry at the same time.

Only just now taking in his appearance, he’s in a plaid pair of pyjamas (of course he is) and a light grey t-shirt with a dark grey ‘S’ printed on it, he looks good. _No_. Betty tells herself. _Do not go there._ “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean what do I mean?” he exclaims. “We don’t know what happens when he get released? Is he killed? Does he get married? I need answers, Betty.”

He looks and sounds so passionate right now she could hug him. Instead she just laughs, “Would you like a tea?”

He doesn’t say anything just nods and follows her into the kitchen.

Once she’s got a better shirt on – and a bra – she settles them at her dining table to discuss his near meltdown over fiction.

They had exchanged books only ten and a half hours prior. Betty herself had already read a good chunk but she didn’t think he’d read it all in one sitting. “Have you been reading since I gave you the book?” she wonders aloud.

“Maybe,” he replies sheepishly. “It was up to you not to make me read something that would ruin my life.”

Betty sips her tea and shakes her head in disagreement. “You’re seeing it wrong.” She says, as if that’s an explanation in itself.

“Please then, tell me what I’m doing wrong.” He dips the bag or earl tea in and out of his hot water but doesn’t make a move to actually drink it.

She clears her throat and settles her arms atop the dining table crossed. “You’re seeing it as the end of a train track, not a division between continuing left or right.” He’s blinking furiously, still not catching on so she continues. “The book was very unsatisfying, I agree. I myself was angry for a couple weeks but then I thought that maybe it was left that way on purpose. The author didn’t give up or run out of source material to keep going, he wanted the reader in question to make up their own ending.”

The man sits still, mouth open and not blinking anymore. Whether he’s in shock or awe Betty will never know.

“Are you still alive in there? Did any of that make sense?” she waves a hand in front of his face, gathering his attention that she lost.

“Yes, yeah that makes so much sense.” He sits back and ponders on his own quiet thoughts for a few minutes and Betty leaves him to it while she finishes her tea. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you like this.”

She chuckles and shrugs him off as if to say _don’t worry about it._ “Are you done with that?” she points to his tea. He nods and gives her a grateful look.

“Hey, Betty I really am sorry to have barged in. It could have waited till tomorrow.” She returns from the kitchen and he’s now standing, ready to go. He looks regretful and like he wants the world to swallow him whole.

“No, don’t worry about it I’m pretty sure it’s part of the process.” She laughs it off, partly to make him feel better and the other part because as much as it should have bothered her, she enjoyed watching his meltdown over a piece of fiction. Plus, it was the weekend now so she would still be able to catch up on her slumber.

“Well I’ll let you get back to peaceful non ruined sleep.”

She smiles a genuine smile, subconsciously telling him that he’s okay and it’s not the end of the world. She thinks he might understand because as he mutters his goodbyes he gives her a shy smile in return.

She locks the door behind him and presses her back to it and sighs quietly. Her stomach begins to churn and she shakes her head.

_Don’t do it._ She thinks. _Don’t start catching feelings for Jughead goddamn Jones._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! so im actually really nervous about publishing my writing. it's always been something i do when im going through things and cant handle my own emotions so it makes me feel v vulnerable but here i am!  
> feel free to leave kudos and comments if you feel so humbled to do so.
> 
> sending hugs!

**Author's Note:**

> follow me!  
> twitter; dearestlili  
> tumblr; bughead-prompts


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